If a three-year waiting list for class admission is any indication, a chef and a registered dietician who also holds a master’s degree in public health, may together be teaching one of the most popular classes on the U campus.

The course–Cultural Aspects of Food–includes hands-on kitchen laboratories, including tasting different dishes, food preparation of cultural specialties and exploring the relationship between food, history, culture and traditions. It is taught by chef J. Looney and Rachel Jones, assistant professor of nutrition at the U.

According to a recent article in the Deseret News:

This isn’t a class for people who want to stay in their comfort zone.

Just ask Jaechul Jung. After sampling grits with shrimp and collard greens seasoned with bacon and onions, the University of Utah student from South Korea declared Southern cooking a hit.

“It was first time in my life” to try grits and collard greens, he said.

Read the rest of the story of how students from across campus and around the world come together around food and learn about life–online at the Deseret News.